DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

Due to the postponement of the Panthers-Hurricanes game, there will be only five contests Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. ET. This article will focus on the later four games, which begin at 7 p.m. ET.

SLATE PREVIEW

Among the eight teams in the four-game evening slate, three teams are on the first leg of a back-to-back, namely the Blues, Kings and Jets. Keep an eye out for goalie confirmations as a result, as the starting goalie is a coin flip in each outing. We'll be leaning hard on favorites in this slate, specifically the Blues, Jets and Bruins, but there's a ton of value plays among the other clubs.

GOALIES

Jordan Binnington, STL vs. LA ($8,400): Binnington put together his best performance of the year Wednesday, turning aside 37 of 38 shots but ultimately losing in a shootout. Meanwhile, the Kings rank 24th in the league with just 1.85 xGF/60 at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick. Binnington should be the top start in this slate, but with a back-to-back set on tap, keep an eye on the starting goalie confirmations, as Ville Husso ($8,100) could get his first start. 

Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. OTT ($8,200): Hellebuyck lost his shutout with less than three minutes remaining in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Senators, but he could have a chance to finish the job Saturday. The 27-year-old has picked up right where he left off in last year's Vezina campaign, as he sports a .935 save percentage through three games. 

Jaroslav Halak, BOS vs. PHI ($7,600): Between Halak and Carter Hart ($7,600), it's a lot easier to trust Halak. It's been a shaky start for Hart, to say the least, as he's posted a .902 save percentage and a 3.66 GAA through four outings. The Flyers' defense is partially to blame, but Sean Couturier (ribs) is still out. The Flyers simply lose their identity without him.

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. MON ($6,000): Pettersson's cold streak -- he's gone five games without a point -- is starting to get some airtime with the media airtime, but the 22-year-old is getting plenty of opportunities, beginning a whopping 79.1 percent of shifts in the offensive zone. He's fired 11 shots on net during his pointless stretch. He scored 27 goals last year. He's knocking on the door, so take a flier while his roster percentage is low.

Paul Stastny, WPG vs. OTT ($4,600): The Jets have piled on against the Senators over the last two games, ringing up eight goals. Stastny didn't get in on the fun, but he fired five shots on net Thursday and centers the top power-play unit. The veteran pivot has enjoyed a solid 52.9 Corsi For percentage at even strength, too.

Andreas Athanasiou, LA at STL ($4,100): Athanasiou has been an immediate gamechanger for the Kings, recording a point in each of the first four games and totaling three goals in that stretch. He's not going to keep scoring at that rate, but he's playing inspired -- something that hasn't been consistent in the past. His skills can keep the production rolling as long as he doesn't lose interest. 

Zach Sanford, STL vs. LA ($3,600): Sanford has a strong wrist shot and his 6-foot-4 frame serves as a strong net-front presence. The 26-year-old is getting plenty of playing time on the top line alongside Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron, boosting Sanford's ceiling against the Kings.

Jakub Voracek, PHI at BOS ($3,700): Part of the theme in this article is the Flyers' defensive woes, but they still have plenty of offensive firepower, especially deep in the lineup. Voracek is a prime example, as he's accrued six points over the past four games while on the third line.

LINE STACKS

Canadiens at Canucks  

Tomas Tatar (C - $5,900), Phillip Danault (W - $4,000), Brendan Gallagher (W - $5,800)

Tyler Toffoli ($5,100) has been remarkable in this series against the Canucks, scoring three points in each of the last two games. It's time to fade him but stick with the Canadiens stack. The revenge narrative is fair at this point, but part of Toffoli's effectiveness stems from how deep the Canadiens are at forward. Gallagher and Tatar both hit 20 goals last year; the first line could be a boon.

Bruins vs. Flyers  

David Krejci (C - $5,000), Jack Studnicka (W - $3,200), Nick Ritchie (W - $3,300) 

As we went over before, the Flyers' defense has taken a significant hit without Couturier in the fold, and the Bruins exploited those weaknesses in Thursday's win, ringing up four goals. This line flies under the radar, but they combined for five points in that outing. Ritchie and Krejci working on the same power play is a bonus.

Blues vs. Kings  

Robert Thomas (C - $3,000), Mike Hoffman (W - $4,000), Tyler Bozak (W - $2,800)

This is a deep dive, but it's a great differentiator in the small slate. The Kings allow a ton of chances at 5-on-5, ranking 30th in the league with 2.75 xGA/60. Thomas has already flashed his playmaking ability with two assists in the opener, and he's been relatively quiet since. However, his pairing with Hoffman has immense upside, as he combined for 65 goals over the previous two seasons.

DEFENSE

Shea Weber, MON at VAN ($6,500): Weber's four-game point streak ended Thursday, but he still managed to contribute two shots on net and a blocked shot. The veteran is always in the mix, and he provides a concrete floor for DFS purposes. The Canadiens' offense has solved the Canucks, so Weber and Jeff Petry ($6,500) are robust options to stack with the aforementioned forward line.

Matt Grzelcyk, BOS vs. PHI ($4,900): Grzelcyk is not Torey Krug. But he plays that role now in Boston. He's produced two assists and 13 shots on net through four games, and he quarterbacks the Bruins' dominant power play. The opportunity is apparent, too, as the Flyers have given up nine power-play goals in the young season.

Vince Dunn, STL vs. LA ($3,000): Dunn floats between the second and third pairing, but he's a staple on the power play and has started 81.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. The 24-year-old is a smart playmaker, and he's just two seasons removed from registering 12 goals and 35 points.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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